Month: October 2011

Make sure you read USA Today’s terrific story on the WWL’s role in realignment. It’s online now and will be in Tuesday’s paper, and it’s by far the best look I’ve seen at the complicated relationship between ESPN and the conferences.

That relationship, whether ESPN admits it or not, is at the heart of the ground-moving events of the past 18 months.

A snippet from the story:

“We’ve created … I was going to say a blurry line, but I don’t think there is any line anymore as to who’s in charge,” former Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger tells USAT.

“We’re doing business with an entertainment company whose only way of surviving involves the number of eyeballs watching the screen. That is the driving force in what I see as all the decisions being made.”

*** Stanford announced this morning that TE Zach Ertz “will most likely be sidelined for at least two weeks” following what the school has called a lower leg injury on the opening kickoff — and what sure looked like a knee injury. That means Ertz will “most likely” miss the Oregon game. (More on the injury below.)

If the Pac-12 releases a statement about Saturday night’s officiating — I don’t expect anything but wouldn’t be shocked if the league admits a blown call — I’ll update the Hotline.

My feeling is this: Yes, there were bad calls both ways. Stanford committed a PI in the end zone on USC’s second drive, while USC was guilty of holding on its final drive in regulation, for example.

As for the play at the end of regulation, I haven’t seen a conclusive enough replay to have a position either way. But Woods/USC blew it — all he had to do was hit the ground and call timeout.

As many Hotline readers are no doubt aware by now, West Virginia is (officially) leaving the Big East in favor of the Big 12 despite the best efforts of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to (reportedly) strongarm his alma mater, Louisville, into the B12.

In addition, Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said growing beyond 10 members is not on the horizon. WVU simply replaces Missouri, which is headed to the SEC (unofficially), and that’s that.

In other words, the door for BYU to join the Big 12 has been slammed shut for the foreseeable future.

The Big 12′s decision to remain a 10-school league fits perfectly with the theory proposed on the Hotline weeks ago:

Texas conceded on two key issues (TCU joining the league and no prep games on TLN) in exchange for a guarantee that the Big 12 would not grow to 12.

The Longhorns want no part of a two-division structure — the conference championship game is double jeopardy — and, I’ve been told, they were not alone in that sentiment.

It took hours, but the Hotline research staff has determined that this weekend marks the first time Stanford and Cal have ever played in Los Angeles on the same Saturday.

(OK, full disclosure: There is no Hotline research staff. I took a few minutes to thumb through 80+ years of schedules in the media guides, expecting the Cardinal and Bears to have made a same-day SoCal appearance at some point. Was a bit surprised to see it has never happened.)

While the public school rivalry is searching for sizzle — Cal has dominated a matchup of mediocre teams — the private school affair possesses plenty of pop.

* Four years ago, Stanford pulled off the epic upset (24-23).

* Two years ago, the Cardinal demolished USC in the “What’s your deal?” game (55-21).

* Last year, the schools played what may have been the Pac-10 game of the year, with Stanford surviving 37-35 on a field goal as time expired.